Pappas, Lawler Lead Bipartisan House Effort Pushing HHS Secretary RFK Jr. to Distribute LIHEAP Funds by November 30

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) led a bipartisan group of 42 of their colleagues in pressing the Department of Health and Human Services to take all necessary steps to ensure that the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds are distributed to the states by November 30, 2025. States typically receive their LIHEAP allocations in early November following the beginning of the fiscal year in October.

The lawmakers wrote, “We appreciate the agency’s notification that LIHEAP funds should be received by LIHEAP recipients by the end of the month, especially as parts of the country begin to experience colder weather and temperatures below freezing. It is vital that LIHEAP funds are delivered as quickly as possible to the nearly six million households that rely on this assistance.”

LIHEAP assists low-income individuals and families with the costs of heating and cooling their homes and helps to mitigate the impacts of rising energy costs and extreme weather events. Across the nation, LIHEAP helps nearly 6 million households afford their energy bills, but this assistance has been put at risk by Secretary Kennedy’s decision to fire all LIHEAP staff earlier this year. In response, in April Pappas led 89 of his Congressional colleagues in calling for the protection of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the rehiring of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) staff who manage the LIHEAP program that were fired. 

They continued to note the importance of the speedy delivery of funds for families who rely on home heating oil or propane, stating, “Given that the heating season has already started in many parts of the country, we agree that there is no time to waste… The risk is especially great for households that rely on home heating oil or propane to warm their homes. While many states include moratoriums on utility shutoffs during winter months, they cannot require independent heating oil or propane suppliers to continue deliveries without payment before or upon delivery.”

In light of the lawmakers concern about the LIHEAP’s capacity to operate without dedicated staff, they also asked HHS to issue states an initial allocation if HHS is unable to disburse full amounts by the end of the month to ensure all heating assistance programs are able to begin without delay, writing, “If disbursement is expected to be delayed past November 30, 2025, as indicated by the agency, we request that HHS immediately distribute an initial, upfront portion of LIHEAP funds to all states to allow households to receive benefits as soon as possible, followed by the disbursement of remaining funds no later than December 10.”

The National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) supports the lawmakers' call for HHS to speed the delivery of LIHEAP funds to the states and highlighted how the speedy release of funds will help protect seniors, families, and people with disabilities who rely on LIHEAP assistance to keep their homes safe during the winter months.

“The National Energy Assistance Directors Association, representing the state directors of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), strongly supports the bipartisan letter led by Representatives Pappas and Lawler urging the immediate release of LIHEAP funds,” said NEADA Executive Director Mark Wolfe. “Timely distribution is essential to helping low-income households especially seniors, families with children, and people with disabilities maintain safe and affordable access to home energy. States and program administrators need these resources now to prepare for the winter heating season and prevent shutoffs. Swift action to release the funds will ensure LIHEAP can effectively protect vulnerable households during a period of rapidly rising home energy costs.”

Read the full letter here and below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

As the federal government resumes the administration of essential programs, we write to you regarding the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). We appreciate the agency’s notification that LIHEAP funds should be received by LIHEAP recipients by the end of the month, especially as parts of the country begin to experience colder weather and temperatures below freezing. It is vital that LIHEAP funds are delivered as quickly as possible to the nearly six million households that rely on this assistance. 

As you know, states typically receive their LIHEAP allocations in early November following the beginning of the fiscal year in October. This four-week delay between appropriation to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and disbursement to states is usually attributed to the amount of time it takes HHS to calculate each state’s apportionment of LIHEAP funding. Given that the heating season has already started in many parts of the country, we agree that there is no time to waste. If the HHS does not marshal all available resources to get LIHEAP funds out the door, it risks putting households across the U.S. in jeopardy of not receiving heating assistance in time. 

The risk is especially great for households that rely on home heating oil or propane to warm their homes. While many states include moratoriums on utility shutoffs during winter months, they cannot require independent heating oil or propane suppliers to continue deliveries without payment before or upon delivery. 

In the agency’s notification to LIHEAP Grant recipients and stakeholders, HHS noted that the Office of Community Services’ (OCS) would use special authority to release the funds. Should the agency require additional action from Congress to ensure these funds are disbursed expeditiously, we request that you notify us without delay. 

Additionally, we request that HHS take the following actions: 

1. Continue to carry out all necessary steps to accelerate the typical four-week timeline for LIHEAP disbursement.
2. Tap additional staff as needed to ensure that funds are disbursed rapidly.
3. Maintain regular contact with LIHEAP recipients about expected timelines for release of funds and any estimated delays as soon as possible.
4. If disbursement is expected to be delayed past November 30, 2025, as indicated by the agency, we request that HHS immediately distribute an initial, upfront portion of LIHEAP funds to all states to allow households to receive benefits as soon as possible, followed by the disbursement of remaining funds no later than December 10. 

We continue to have serious concerns about the LIHEAP program’s capacity to operate effectively without dedicated staff. We urge you to ensure that necessary personnel and resources are in place to support LIHEAP's continued success. 

We urge you to do everything possible to distribute LIHEAP funds to states and families without delay. With home heating costs expected to rise faster than inflation this winter , families should not have to choose between staying warm and other essential items like food, medication, or rent. We appreciate your attention on this urgent matter and stand ready to support the agency in assisting the American people.

Sincerely,

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